AV integration in a networked world

Gearhouse SA and HSL supply lighting for CHOGM opening ceremony

In conjunction with production company Events Warehouse, Gearhouse won the contract to supply the full technical production (lighting, sound and AV) for an opening show that was staged in the round at the ballroom of the Serena Hotel & Conference Centre. Having elected to outsource the entire lighting rig due to existing commitments and time pressures, Gearhouse project manager Bill Lawford tapped HSL to build and prepare all the kit at its headquarters in Blackburn, UK. HSL then sorted out the air freight arrangements with Paul Eldridge from Freight Management, and also provided a total four staff to work on-site with Gearhouse’s 14-strong crew.

The final specification included 40 Lodestar and Prostar motors, 50 sections of trussing and a white polystretch projection surface used to create a projection canopy between the inner and outer trusses above the stage. Equipment sent from the UK included 60 Robe ColorSpot and ColorWash 1200E AT moving lights, 15 ETC Source Four zooms, 18 bars of 6 PARs, 16 8-lite Molefeys and two grandMA consoles.

“Considering all of the logistical challenges inherent in shipping equipment and crew from different sources into Kampala, the event went off extremely smoothly,” Bill Lawford told II. “The ease with which Gearhouse and HSL were able to work together on this initial collaboration opens all sorts of possibilities into the future and extends our trading capacity. Gearhouse usually provides a total event solution on larger events, but this time commitments to simultaneous events in SA left us without sufficient lighting equipment to fulfil the needs of the event. We were able to provide crew, Christie projectors, a Barco Encore presentation system and PPU and a dV-DOSC sound system, and were very fortunate to have been able to outsource the entire lighting rig without a hiccup.”